NEW YORK—The 109th American International Toy Fair opened its doors to over 34,000 toy lovers from 110 different countries at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Sunday morning.
The Toy Fair is the largest toy tradeshow in the Western Hemisphere, where old favorites like Silly Putty and Barbie made their debuts in the 1950s. From classic games to innovative tech-toys, nearly 16,000 buyers and over 1,000 exhibitors are coming to see and showcase 100,000 games and toys. Buyers range from major retail chains like Target and Walmart to independent licensers and entertainment executives.
“Toy Fair is a critical hub for the $83 billion global toy industry, opening the doors to both the U.S. and worldwide toy markets,” said Carter Keithley, Toy Industry Association (TIA) president, in a press release.
Prior to the event, Saturday was the Toy of the Year awards ceremony, where the top toys and games from industry giants were honored. TIA will also be releasing toy trend information for 2012 as the week progresses.
